


Ray of Sunshine

by EscapeTheVault



Series: Highborn [4]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Dragons, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-06 11:31:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17938904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EscapeTheVault/pseuds/EscapeTheVault
Summary: Zenotha is kind of all over Skyrim just trying to get some stuff done. She touches a few lives along the way.





	Ray of Sunshine

“Honored to see you, my Thane.” Rayya was in a pleasant mood, as always. She’d been crucial help in getting the building of Lakeview Manor off the ground… literally. The budget for the house had gotten quite tight- Zenotha hadn’t done as many jobs in the last few weeks as normal so the purse wasn’t as full. Faendal was now her full-time steward, much to the relief of Camilla, who could now see him regularly and not worry excessively about him. Jenassa was now her default travel companion and the two had grown to be quite good friends. She had a feeling Faendal didn’t much approve of Jenassa as his replacement but even he had to admit she was a better fit, esp since Zenotha had started doing more work for the Dark Brotherhood in the last month since she found Myrwatch. Faendal had proven to be incredibly savvy in all sorts of business related to running the household- in the two weeks that the project had been going on, the house was nearly completely built and all of the necessary furnishings had either already arrived or had at least been ordered. Even unfinished, she was able to house and feed herself, Rayya, Faendal, and Jenassa. Quite comfortably, even.

She finished putting together her pack. She was going to go to Anga’s Mill to order some lumber since she had to swing by Windhelm anyway. Of course by “swing by,” she meant carry out the second part of a contract she’d been assigned- a woman named Muiri hired her to kill an ex-lover but had offered her a bonus to kill an old friend as well. Therefore, Nilsine Shatter-Shield was going to die. It sounded like it may have been a sad story, really, but she didn’t have the liberty of sympathizing with these people. She’d already won some favor with the family by bringing down Calixto after he’d murdered the other daughter. It would be painfully simple- be invited into the home and poison her with the lotus extract. She happened to know the girl always kept a jug of wine next to her bed since she’d gone into mourning over Friga’s sudden and brutal death. 

Jenassa clearing her throat cut into her thoughts. Even with Bjorlam’s carriage, it was going to be a long trip up from Whiterun. They needed to get going. Zenotha gave Lydia a quick wave and they headed out. The instant the door closed behind them, Jenassa let out a growl of frustration.

“You have GOT to be kidding me with Lydia. She’s insufferable,” she groaned.

“Why do you think I usually stay at the OTHER Whiterun house?” Zenotha rolled her eyes. “The last thing I need is the Thane of righteousness clutching her pearls when I come back from a job with a little too much gold and blood in my hair. Plus she’s entirely too uptight and too serious. She’s be great at her job for someone else.”

“Agreed.” Jenassa sighed. They walked the rest of the way to Bjorlam’s carriage in silence. He waved at them and chuckled. “Windhelm, please.”

The duo climbed up into the carriage. Bjorlam clicked at his horse and they started moving. Jenassa looked Zenotha directly in the eye.

“There’s a Nord man in Markarth who watches you, you know.” She smirked. Zenotha crinkled her face.

“WATCHES me? That’s creepy.”

“Not in a creepy way. He doesn’t follow you or anything. And he seems embarrassed if I catch him looking at you for too long.”

“Is there a point to all of this?”

“Yes. The point is that there is a Nord man in Markarth…”

“Stop. Just stop.”

“I think you should talk to him is all.” Jenassa shrugged. “Or I can, if you don’t want to.”

“Bitch you better fucking not.” Zenotha glared at her. “And shame on you for trying to corner me into doing this.”

“Alright, alright. You have a point.” Jenassa held her hands up in mock surrender. “But next time we’re there I bet you 25 gold that you catch him.”

“Oh we’re making it a BET now. You squirrely bitch.” Zenotha laughed. “Fine, 25 gold if you’re right. I get 50 if you’re wrong, so you better be sure.”

“He’s pretty cute, too…”

“DAMMIT JENASSA!” Zenotha’s faux disgusted face sent them both into a fit of giggles. “Besides, what am I supposed to do about it?”

“I don’t know. Whatever you want. Hell, have him as your side business when you’re there. You’re a killer, not dead.”

“Absolutely not. That’s how people catch feelings and then it turns into this big ugly emotional mess and I’m out here just trying to kill people and steal shit for a living.” Zenotha raised an eyebrow. “Wow I do NOT make myself sound good.”

“Who cares if you sound good. They all hate us for being elves anyway, may as well enjoy life and get rich.”

“Speaking of which, I’ve been invited to the Blue Palace in Solitude. I got an anonymous letter that they’re dealing with something that may require our help. I don’t want us to look like scruffy beggars, so I arranged with Radiant Raiments to fit us with some fine clothes. We’ll need them for other appearances too, anyway. We're also going to a wedding next week. The more Jarls and nobles we rub elbows with, the more face we have to put up. There is apparently a catch, but Taarie’s going to cut us quite a deal apparently.”

“Hey, you can wear your new fancy dress when you go meet your new Nord boyfriend!”

“I fucking hate you sometimes.”

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Zenotha let out an exasperated sigh as the dragon fell to the ground, finally dead after a lengthy battle. Kodrir and Leifur had both been killed and Aeri had been knocked aside by the dragon’s tail. Jenassa had a long gash across her face and one of Zenotha’s hands had a sharp, deep cut on the palm.

“Are you girls alright?” Aeri slowly got to her feet.

“Yep,” Zenotha answered.

“That was impressive,” the Nord woman said hesitantly.

“Oh just wait for the best part.” She sighed again and held up three fingers in a slow countdown. Upon returning her hand to a fist, a swirl of bright light flowed from the dragon’s corpse and enveloped her, culminating in a bright sort of sunburst. No more than the dragon’s skeleton remained. Aeri’s jaw dropped open. “Yeah, yeah, it’s like the old stories, blah… and yes I can shout.”

“So you’re the one the Greybeards summoned…”

“I mean, maybe. I haven’t gone up there yet, admittedly.”

“But…. why not?” Aeri looked baffled.

“I have a lot of other things to do. A lot of people to help… albeit some in interesting or marginally illegal ways.”

“Zenotha!” Jenassa groaned. “You’re not subtle are you?”

“Shush. Anyway, I’m just here to buy lumber. Doing some building on a house.”

“I’ll… I can… I’ll send it over to the property. How many logs?’ Aeri was clearly still baffled.

“I think 60 will do. Once this house is built I hope to have another to start on.”

“Wait, what?” It was Jenassa’s turn to be baffled. “Since when are you a real estate mogul?”

“Yeah, I have my eyes set on two other properties. I’d ideally like to have a home in each hold so I don’t have to go halfway across Skyrim to fall into a bed I own.”

“Well you know in Markarth, there’s…” Zenotha backhanded her playfully without looking at her, forgetting about the gash. Jenassa winced.

“Shit, I’m sorry. Here, let me see if this will help.” Zenotha focused intently on the gash. Both hands started glowing, similarly to the effect made when she absorbed dragon souls. “This might hurt a little but won’t hurt as much as the cut itself.”

She put her hands on either side of the wounds. The glow surrounded the gash and it slowly closed itself inch by inch. When she pulled her hands away, there was still a mark where the gash had been. “Muiri should be able to whip up a salve we can put on that, I think.”

“So you mean…” Jenassa coughed. “That we’re going to…”

“I’m going to straight up murder you if you don’t stop.” She turned her attention to Aeri. “Here, I’ll mark on this map where the lumber is to be delivered. It’s far, I know, so I’ll pay extra for the delivery.”

Aeria frowned when she saw Zenotha put a mark in Falkreath. “Falkreath has plenty of lumber. Why do you come all the way up to me?”

“Well, to be honest, the man who runs the mill in Falkreath is pretty vocally racist. Like literally every time I pass him, he has to let me know how he can’t believe people like me are allowed to live in Skyrim. I know you’re not a fan of elves either but you at least have the decency not to let it show.” Aeri’s eyes widened. “Yes, I know all about your father and how he died in the Great War. I’m in a business were knowing things is money gained. I’m sure if I were in your shoes, I’d be resentful too. But you seem to try not to let it cloud your judgement, and that’s a small blessing I don’t get from a lot of people in Skyrim.”

“I’m… I’m sorry. “ Aeri looked genuinely bothered. “I know I need to be better.”

“I can’t tell you what to think. Honestly I shouldn’t have even brought it up. I should have said I came here because I had business in Windhelm because I did. But here I am flapping my gums.” Zenotha shook her head. “Come on, Jenassa, we have more important things to do.”

“I’ll send over the lumber as soon as we get it cut.” Aeri half-bowed as the two women set off back towards Windhelm. She turned her attention to her two workers who lay dead next to the woodcutting block. She was only alive because of an elf, and an elf that was risking her life to protect Skyrim from an unknown evil force- a lot more than Ulfric was doing.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Taarie scowled at the last line of beading she was sewing onto the dress Zenotha had requested. She’d thrown ridiculous amounts of gold to the shop for this and Taarie wouldn’t allow anything less than perfection to leave. Zenotha had actually managed to get them some orders from Jarl Elisif herself and the court, more than Taarie or Endarie could have hoped for. She’d even found some unusual jewelry pieces on her travels that she’d sold them for far less than they were worth for them to resell. Taarie almost felt bad for how she’d initially treated her, except it seemed to roll right off Zenotha’s back. She almost reminded Taarie of what she’d thought she’d be as an adult- bold, witty, funny, strong, traveling the world….

She shook herself out of her wandering thoughts and focused back on the beading in front of her. She was almost done, so close she could taste it. It was honestly some of her better work, she had to admit. Zenotha had said she was wearing it to the wedding of Vittoria Vici next week. Taarie could only imagine how many important nobles would see it, and maybe want garments of their own. She glanced over at the dress she’d made for Zenotha’s companion Jenassa. She was actually happy to be making these for other elves this time instead of Nords again. The Nord man who had been in earlier that week had been flat out cruel to her. So cruel, in fact, that Zenotha herself had overheard the diatribe and stood between them to defend her. The jokes Zenotha about he man’s compensating for his privates was a little distasteful to her, but a few days later when he picked up his garments, he was noticeably less cruel to her, even complimenting her on her work.

‘Wow my standards are low,’ she thought. 

The faint sound of the door to the shop opening and closing got her to focus. She knotted off the end of the thread and stood back to admire the finished product. She turned around just as Zenotha walked into the room and immediately lit up.

“Oh this is perfect!” She ran her fingers along the fur cape. “This is even more than I asked for. I love it.”

“I’m glad.” Taarie forced herself to keep a serious face. “I want only the finest product to be worn at the wedding of such a notable person as Vittoria Vici. The emperor’s cousin must only have the finest in attendance.”

“Agreed. It’s going to be a big day for more than one reason.” Zenotha clapped her hands. “And Jenassa’s is done as well?”

“Yes, over there,” she said. She nodded towards the corner. “I can have them wrapped and ready for you to take with you today, if you like.”

“Excellent. I’m going to step outside for a moment.” She smiled and left the room as quietly as she’d entered.

 

Taarie smiled broadly to herself, day made.

**Author's Note:**

> I really just wanted to make Zenotha seem like she's really mostly a good person despite being an assassin. She swears a lot and can be gruff so this is a happy side.
> 
> I'm also going to return to the "Man of Markarth" in a later bit. I made him seem a little creepy now to make Jenassa look pushy. I promise he's not actually creepy.


End file.
